Variable capacity measuring cup



`May l, 1951 w. w. JEN'NINGs 2,551-,002

VARIABLE CAPACITY MEAsuRING CUP Filed sept. 7, 1948 INVENTOR ZU. ZU. Jennings ATTORNEYS Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention provides an improved variable capacity measuring cup for culinary use; such cupbeing ya modification of the cup shown in copending application, Serial No. 716,541, led December 16, 1946, now Patent Number 2,478,272.

One advantage of the cup, as modied, resides in a novel and improved movable bottom assembly, the latter being operative to Work in close wiping relation to the cylindrical body of the cup, and to prevent leakage between said bottom assembly and cylindrical body.

Another advantageous feature of the present embodiment of the cup is a novel and improved indexing device between the movable, cup bottom actuating lever and thev handle of the cup; such indexing device being readily and conveniently manipulated, by the thumb of the hand which holds the cup, to set the-latter to a selected capacity- A further advantage of the present embodiment of the cup is its structural design, which permits of economy and ease of manufacture and assembly, in mass production.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and convenient measuring cup, and one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished -by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts, as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the measuring cup.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, mainly in section, of the same.

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the cup with the flexible sealing disc partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the improved measuring cup comprises a cylindrical body I, initially open from end to end thereof, and including beads 2 and 3 at opposite ends.

A circular, vertically movable bottom or plunger li is disposed in the body I, with a relatively close sliding fit; such bottom II including a depending, annularjguide skirt 5 which assures of easy sliding of said bottom 4 in the body I.

The top of the bottom i is fitted with a flat but flexible sealing disc 6, preferably of an elastometric composition, such as Vinylite, or the like; the disc including an annular wiping lip 'I at its periphery running in close wiping contact with the inner wall of the body I of the cup.

A locating boss 8, of rectangular shape,l projects downwardly from the center of the' disc `Ii, and engages in a matching slot 9 in the bottom 4. Additionally, a circumferential row of friction `buttons `lo is formed integra with the disc s,4

projecting downwardly therefrom, in holding relation, through holes I I in the bottom Li.

The above described exible sealing disc v6A assures against leakage when the measuring cup is used with liquids, and further wipes the inner Wall of the body clean. v

The body I is formed, on the outside, with a plurality of vertically spaced ribs I2, of full circumferential extent, disposed in a vertical row; such ribs being sealed, as at I3, to indicate cup measurements above the bottom 4 when the latter is in its normal and lowermost position. These ribs also add strength to the cup, 'which may be quite thin. v Y

On one side thereof the body I is fitted with an outwardly projecting handle i4 of generally C- shape, and an actuating lever I5, preferably of metal, and generally in the form of -a bellcrank, is pivoted at the elbow, as at I6, to the lower portion of the handle Id exteriorly of said body I.

The lower leg I? of lever l5 projects into the body I, below the bottom II, through an opening I8. The lower leg II is curved, at its free end portion, and bears against the bottom 4, generally centrally thereof. Also, said curved inner end portion of the lower leg I'I passes through an opening I8 formed through the central part of the cross Webs 20, which depend from the bottom 4,. Said inner Vend portion of the lowei` leg I1 thus bears, at its upper edge, against the bottom II in lifting relation thereto, and bears, at its lower edge, on a fulcrum ZI in lowering relation to said bottom 4.

The other and upstanding leg 22 of the actuating lever I5 is formed, adjacent its upper end,

with a generally C-shaped, laterally inwardlyr opening portion 23; the top of which portion provides a spring nger 24 which projects directly toward, and terminates substantially in engagement with, the side of the handle I4 at the top thereof. At the end adjacent the side of the handle I4, the spring finger 24 includes, in rigid relation therewith, a catch 25, and said side of the handle I4 is formed with an arcuate groove 26. A plurality of notches 2l extend upwardly from said groove in spaced relation therealong; such notches being scaled in cup capacity, as shown.

The catch 25 projects into the groove 26, and the spring linger 2d urges said catch in a direction tofrictionally engage the samev in any selected one of the notches 2l. The spring finger 2li includes an upwardly projecting thumb iiange 28, by means of which the thumb of the hand which grasps the handle III may beemployed to swing the lever I5 to a selected position of 3 adjustment, while holding the spring nger suiciently depressed that the catch 25 runs in the groove 26. When the thumb flange 28 is released, the spring nger 24 urges the catch 25 into a notch corresponding to a selected capacity.

For measuring liquids, the bottom Il remains in its lowermost position, with catch 25 in notch 2'I identified as 1 cup; the liquid level then being read on the scale ribs I2.

For measuring solids, or semi-solids, the bottom is rst manually adjusted to a selected capacity, and then the material to be measured is placed in the cup to the level of the top thereof. This material may then be ejected from the cup by swinging the leg 22 of lever I5 outwardly until disc 6 is ush With'the top of the cup, as in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and at which time the material need not be dug out of the cup, and either slides from the disc or may be cleanly cut 01T the same. To facilitate ejection of such material from the cup, the latter may be heated, in warm water, before use; this causing the outer surface of the material in the cup to melt sufiiciently to create a light film between the material and the inner wall of body I.

At its outer end the groove 26 includes an inwardly offset, longitudinally extending end portion 29 which forms a stop shoulder 30. the spring iinger 24 is depressed to release catch 25, and the leg 22 of actuating lever I5 is swung outwardly in a direction until said catch 25 strikes the stop shoulder 30, the disc 6 is then When ush with the top of the'body I, for the purpose above described.

Upon additional depression of the spring finger 24, to free catch 25 from shoulder 30, and further outwaid swinging of the leg 22 of actuating lever I5 until said catch 25 is fully advanced in the longitudinal end portion 29 of groove 26, the bottom 4 is thrust out of the top of the cup 'suiiicient to permit of its easy removal; the inner end of the lower leg I1 then being in a position to escape the opening I9.

I of the cup for cleaning, and then can be easily replaced. This arrangement also facilitates initial assembly.

The above described measuring cup provides 'a` practical and convenient article for measuring,

during culinary operations, of ingredients to relatively exact proportions.

The convenience of the cup is enhanced by the fact that itworks easily, smoothly, and is capable of quick manual adjustment from one capacity to another, as desired.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such an article of manufacture as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the article of manufacture still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as dened by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

l. A measuring cup comprising a cylindrical body having a vertically movable bottom slidably mounted therein, a laterally projecting handle on the body, a manually actuated lever pivoted on In this manner the' 'bottom 4 can be readily removed from the body 'and'operative from the handle to adjust the bottom in the body, said lever including` one leg projecting into the ibody and engaging the movable bottom, said lever also including a second leg upstanding alongside the handle, the adjacent side of the handle having an arcuate groove therein, and a catch on the upstanding leg projecting into the groove; there being notches along said groove corresponding to selected positions of adjustment of the bottom, and means on the upstanding leg operative to yieldably seat the catch in said notches.

2. A measuring cup comprising a cylindrical body having a vertically movable bottom slidably mounted therein, a laterally projecting handle on the ibody, a manually actuated lever pivoted on and operative from the handle to adjust the bottom in the body, said lever including one leg projecting into the body and engaging the movable bottom, said lever also including a second leg upstanding alongside the handle, the side of the handle adjacent said upstanding leg having an arcuate groove therein, the upstanding leg having a generally C-shaped, laterally inwardly opening portion formed on the upper end thereof, said C-shaped portion forming a spring iinger at the top of the leg projecting toward said groove, and a catch projecting from the iinger into the groove; there being notches along the groove corresponding to selected positions of adjustment of the bottom, and said nger yieldably urging the catch in the direction or, and for engagement in, any selected one of said notches. 3. A measuring cup, as in claim 2, including a thumb vengaging element upstanding from the spring finger.

4. A measuring cup comprising a cylindrical body having a vertically movable bottom slidably mounted therein, a laterally projecting handle on the body, a manually actuated lever pivoted on and operative from the handle to adjust the bottom in the body, said lever including one leg projecting into the body and engaging the movable bottom, said lever also including a second leg upstanding alongside the handle, the handle including a notched, longitudinal groove therein on the sid-e adjacent the upstanding leg, and a catch projecting from said leg into the groove for releasable engagement with any selected notch thereof.

5. A measuring cup, as in claim 4, in which the manually actuated lever is arranged to thrust the bottom out of the topof the cup when the leg is swung to a position with the catch at one end of the groove; the :bottom then being separable from said lever.

6. A measuring cup, as in claim 5, in which said one end of the groove is in a laterally oiset, longitudinal portion of the groove, forming a shoulder against which the catch normally engages; the catch being manually depressible for entry into said portion of the groove to engage said end.

WENDELL W. J ENNINGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Jennings Aug. 9, 1949 j' 

